Coco Bandero

Cayos Coco Bandero

Yes, you can visit Cayos Coco Bandero in a single day. It sits in the Coco Bandero area and is included in 2 of our day trips from Panama City, from $135 per person: pickup is around 5:00 am and you are back the same day.

A mini-archipelago of tiny islands with some of the best-preserved coral reefs in the region.

Coco BanderoArea of the archipelago

2Tours that stop here

$135From, per person

4Islands the same day

Coco Bandero is not one island but a handful of tiny cays close together, some of them literally sand and four palm trees. Between them lie some of the best-preserved corals in the comarca, and that is what justifies coming.

Being off the busier routes, you arrive and there is usually little more than your own boat. It is the desert-island image people expect to find all over San Blas and that in fact only survives in places like this.

Photo from the Snorkeling Tour at Coco Bandero tour — Photo from our “Snorkeling Tour at Coco Bandero” tour, which stops here. We do not yet have a photo confirmed to be of this particular island, and we would rather say so than pass one off as it.

Which tours include Cayos Coco Bandero

Several routes stop here. What changes is which other islands come with it, and the price.

$135 Snorkeling Tour at Coco Bandero Same day: Ogopuki · Isla Iguana $135 Photo Tour: The Postcard Keys Same day: Isla Chichime · Isla Estrella

What else you see the same day

No day trip stops at just one island. These are the ones that share the morning with Cayos Coco Bandero.

Isla Chichime Two twin islands with the most photographed palm trees in Guna Yala; a favorite spot for sailboats.
Isla Estrella It owes its name to the starfish that dwell in its shallow waters.
Ogopuki A quiet, off-the-beaten-path island; the beach is practically private most of the year.
Isla Iguana (Ariyaladub) A wide beach and calm waters; a perfect spot for swimming without any currents.

Other islands in Coco Bandero

Ogopuki

Questions about Cayos Coco Bandero

Can you visit Cayos Coco Bandero in a single day?

Yes. You leave Panama City around 5:00 am by 4x4, cross into the comarca and continue by boat; you are back the same afternoon. No overnight stay needed.

How much does it cost to reach Cayos Coco Bandero?

From $135 per person, depending on which of our routes you take. That price already covers the door-to-door 4x4, the boat, lunch and the guide. The only extra is the comarca entrance fee, paid once: $22 for foreigners and $7 for residents, in cash and directly to the Guna community.

How long do you spend on Cayos Coco Bandero?

A day trip splits the morning and afternoon between the islands on the itinerary, so no single stop lasts all day. If you would rather stay on one island without rushing, message us on WhatsApp and we will tell you which route comes closest.

Which island exactly do we land on?

No single one: Coco Bandero is a cluster of tiny cays packed together, some small enough to fit in a photo without cropping. The boat stops at whichever is best that day.

How much time is spent in the water?

More than anywhere else, because these are among the best preserved corals left. And that is the risk: hours face down burn your back without you noticing. Rash vest or cream before you get in, not after.